


Screwed

by SailorLestrade



Category: Olympics RPF, Swimming RPF
Genre: Hurt feelings, Jealousy, M/M, Relationship(s), Ryan is insecure
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-02
Updated: 2016-12-08
Packaged: 2018-08-19 03:17:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 5,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8187464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorLestrade/pseuds/SailorLestrade
Summary: Ryan's jealousy gets the best of him.





	1. Chapter 1

Ryan stared at his phone, at the countless messages he and Michael had sent each other while they were away. They wanted to know as much about the other’s day as possible so they didn’t miss out on anything, but even then it didn’t feel the same. Ryan was inn Vegas and he didn’t feel like having fun if he didn’t have his other half with him, he felt like skipping entirely and joining Michael but he knew he had work to do. 

Everything was going great until he got on snapchat. He unconsciously checked the stories as he usually did but when it came to Conor’s story he paid more attention. Conor had posted photo after photo of him and Mike on the golf course, relaxing, and a couple of them drinking up and having fun. His heart stopped and he felt a slight tug of it. He knew that they were hanging out but he didn’t think anything of it, they did hang out quite often and he had no problem with it. 

Though, if he was to be honest, he did feel a little jealous that he was spending more time with Conor than him. If he could, he would keep Mike to himself and just close the world out. All of a sudden, rage fired in his heart. He hated seeing those photos, hated seeing that Mike was having fun without him but with Conor. He hated that he couldn’t be there to be the breaker between them. Conor should not be that close to Michael, no one should. Jealousy ran through his veins and he wanted revenge. He wanted to show them that he too could have fun without Mike and that he didn’t need the guy to be happy. 

So, he posted a few snaps of himself at Vegas. He smiled widely and he used a few filters and he even enjoyed doing it. Before he could do delete the snaps or even think of doing it, he closed his phone and tried to forget all about it. 

-

His phone rang as he was getting ready for bed that night and he answered it without looking at the ID. 

“I see you’re having fun in Vegas,” Mike’s voice came through the line. The fire of jealousy came back again when he thought of the snaps he saw earlier. 

“Well, you looked cosy with Conor…” he snipped back without even thinking about it. The line went quiet and he knew that he stepped a bit out of line but he didn’t care. 

“We were just playing golf Ryan…” he heard Michael try to explain but he wasn’t having any of it. 

“And drinking away…” he added. 

“Ryan we’re just friends…” Michael pushed on and Ryan felt like hanging up. He didn’t. 

“I don’t like you hanging out with him all the time!” he blurted out and even he was shocked at his outburst. Michael was quiet and he didn’t know if he could recover from that. 

“I knew you felt that way…I just didn’t want it to be true…” Michael’s voice was quiet and too calm for Ryan and it freaked him out. 

“Mike, I’m so-“ he tried to apologize but Michael cut him off.

“I gotta go Ryan, we’ll talk more when we get home…” and with that, Mike hung up on him and he was screwed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They come home

Remember when Michael said they would talk more when they both got home? Well, what a load of empty promise that was. Ryan had arrived home from Vegas a couple of days before Michael did and as soon as he entered the empty house, all he wanted to do was leave again. Everywhere he looked good memories turned bad and the whole house looked darker than he remembered it ever been. 

Michael decided to stay for another day. After that phone call with Ryan, he knew he had an inevitable talk coming his way and he didn’t want to go through that. When he did eventually arrive home, Ryan was quietly watching a movie; enveloped in such silence that he immediately felt the tension. His emotions faltered; where they used to jump up in excitement and hug so tight and kiss each other with such desire, now filled with mere ‘hey’ and a nod of the head. Ryan didn’t say anything after that, so Michael went to put his bags away but as he walked up the familiar hallway to the master bedroom, he stood just shy of the spare bedroom door and stared down at the door he’s constantly closed every night. With a sigh, he took a left and placed his bags in the spare room and locked himself in. 

Everything was different, Ryan knew it but part of him wanted to ignore it and pretend that it was all ok. How could he though, with Michael not playing his part. 

Agonizing, silent hours turned to days and before they knew it, they had spent four days under the same roof not saying a word to each other and not sharing the same bed. Ryan used to think that he never got nearly enough bed space but now that he has it all to himself, it feels too big. Sleeping on the spare bed wasn’t nearly as comfortable for Michael as he thought. The tossing and turning became frequent for him and he’d just end up lying in bed, until the wee hours of the morning. Where they would make breakfast and eat together, now replaced with Michael going out for a long run and Ryan eating by himself. Everything was wrong. 

\--

 _“You need to talk to him Mike, you can’t keep ignoring him forever...”_ the words rang through Michael’s mind over and over until he swore it was Conor himself saying it beside him. He pulled his phone out as he sat at the bottom of the tree and he dialed the number. He waited as the phone kept ringing and ringing and finally he answered. 

_“Did you talk to him yet?_ ” was what came through the line instead of a hello and Michael didn’t expect any less. He sighed. 

“No...I haven’t. We’ve been mostly avoiding each other,” and he felt his heart hurt as he said the words. He knew that on the other side of the phone call was a disbelief shake of the head and a very prominent frown. 

_“You mean in the whole four days that you guys have been home, you have not once said a word to one another? How the hell do you guys sleep at night...??”_ Michael stayed quiet and only stared at the tree ahead. _“Oh goodness...”_ Conor whispered as he knew what the silence meant and he didn’t like that it had gone this way. 

_“Mike, if you don’t talk to him soon it’ll only get worse and then it will definitely be harder to talk. I can’t step in and do this for you but it gets to the point where the whole thing could go seriously wrong then I have no choice but to fly over there and help fix it and I don’t think Ryan would like that very much....”_ Conor told him in a tone of authority. 

“I don’t think I can do it,” he voice so unsure and for once since he’s recovered, he feels lost. 

_“Doesn’t matter, you gotta!”_ Conor put his foot down, otherwise they weren’t going to get anywhere. 

“I have to go, thanks anyways,” Mike hung up but didn’t move until it started to drizzle. He jogged lightly back home and when he walked in it was quiet again, he didn’t know if Ryan was home or not. He walked into the kitchen for water and he saw the note on the fridge. 

‘Gone to training, not sure when I’m back’


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike and Ryan talk

Ryan was away training with Cheryl but he couldn’t get his feet to move the way they needed it too. Every step he took, he either took it wrong or he faltered so bad he fell to the floor. It didn’t take long before Cheryl stopped him altogether and stared at him with a stern look. 

“What??” was all she asked him as her hands gripped her hips. Ryan turned and groaned in frustration, his hands running through his hair roughly. 

“Whatever it is, you either need to sort it out now or leave it at the door. We can’t have you failing this, not now…” Cheryl told him and he know she was right. He either had to sort it out or risk it becoming worse. 

“I’m sorry Cheryl, I guess this thing with Mike is getting a little out of hand…” he mumbled as an apology.

“I don’t want you apologizing to me…you need to talk to him Ryan…” her voice calmer than he’s heard before. He looked at her and she gave him a stern but soft look and he crumbled at the thought of having the dreaded conversation. 

===

That night, Ryan had called in for pizza and hoped that when he asked Michael to join him, he won’t just pass it up and hide away. Michael stepped in a few minutes after the pizza had arrived and the smell invaded his sense and his stomach grumbled against his own will. He followed the smell to the kitchen with a smile but when he saw Ryan there, his smile faltered. 

“Hey…” they both weakly greeted each other. 

“Please eat dinner with me…I, we need to talk,” Ryan almost pleaded in his softest voice ever, his eyes shone with unshed tears. Michael wanted to run, wanted to find an excuse to not join Ryan for dinner. But he couldn’t come up with a decent excuse and he was starving. Without a word, he sat opposite Ryan and they both ate in silence. 

So Ryan wanted to talk, it didn’t mean he knew how to start the conversation! His mind kept going through the words he would say, but none made it past his lips. The same thing was going through Michael’s mind though how long can they keep silent like this fi they were meant to talk?

“We can’t keep doing this, we can’t keep saying we need to talk and then not say anything…” Michael whispered as he took an uneasy bite. 

“Why do you keep hanging out with Conor all the time?” Ryan straight away asked, knowing he won’t have courage to do it later. 

“Was that why you had so much fun at Vegas?” Michael snipped back at him in an accusatory tone. Ryan dropped his pizza onto his plate. 

“What’s that supposed to mean? So I can’t have fun without you?!” his tone went up another level and his eyes went wide. 

“That’s not what I meant and you know it!” Mike shouted at him and Ryan’s anger rose. 

“Then what Michael, tell me!” he shouted back as he scraped his chair back and stood on his feet. 

“WHAT’S SO WRONG ABOUT ME HAVING FUN COMPARED TO YOU AND CONOR?! I’M ALLOWED TO HAVE FUN MICHAEL!”

Michael rose to his feet as well and he knew now it was too late for this to be a civil conversation. 

‘I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT AFTER EVERYTHING, YOU THINK THAT THERE’S SOMETHING GOING ON BETWEEN ME AND CONOR! DO YOU KNOW HOW CRAZY YOU SOUND RIGHT NOW?!” 

“CRAZY?? YOU THINK I’M CRAZY??” Ryan was losing it, he had been called crazy lots of times but definitely not meant in the way Michael had just intended. He didn’t want it to be this way but he had a right to be angry at Michael with the way he was acting lately. 

“YES, I THINK YOU’RE CRAZY! YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO CALL ME OUT ON HANGING WITH CONOR BUT YOU THINK I DON’T SEE YOU FLIRTING WITH EVERY OTHER GUY –OR GIRL FOR THAT MATTER – WHENEVER WE’RE AT A PARTY?! A BIT HYPOCRITICAL OF YOU, DON’T YOU THINK?!” Ryan stared at him incredulously. He may have flirted with other people, but he always came home with Michael. Always! 

“How come you never talked to me about it before…?” Ryan can’t even believe himself when he asked the question. 

“Because I trusted you Ryan…I knew that no matter how many people you flirted with that you would always come home with me,” Michael answered truthfully and Ryan saw a hint of love in his eyes but it soon vanished. 

“I just don’t get why you won’t trust me with Conor… I thought I knew you better but I guess I don’t…” Michael turned and walked away without saying another word and he left the house completely and didn’t turn to look back. Ryan didn’t know what to say and he felt like even if they kept ‘talking’ it would get them nowhere and they wouldn’t actually fix anything. For once he was at a lost and didn’t know what to do.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan calls.

Michael never returned home that night, where he went Ryan didn’t know. All he knew was that he wasn’t going to see Mike for the next few days...

Ryan tried calling him a few times every day but all his calls kept going unanswered, and after so many calls, Michael’s mail box got full and he couldn’t leave anymore messages. If Ryan wasn’t at practice, he would lock himself up in the house not going out anywhere, not seeing anyone and only eating take out. His closing up made his dance suffer and Cheryl increasing got frustrated with him and even if she wasn’t showing it, he could tell. 

Until one day he decided to call Conor himself.

“ _Hello..._ ” Conor’s tone of voice told him that he was expecting this call. 

“Hey Conor, how are ya?” he tried to keep it cool but who was he kidding?

“ _I’d be better if my friends weren’t fighting..._ ” came the snark reply and Ryan knew he deserved it. He could hear an audible frustrated sigh on the other end and he considered hanging up. 

“Is he there with you?” he pressed on; of course he needed to know where Michael was. 

” _He’s here, he’s not doing as well as you think he is. You need to talk to him Ryan..._ ” Conor pleaded and he felt sorry for his friend, for putting him in between them. But then again, who else can he blame for that other than himself? Why did he have to have doubts about Michael and Conor’s friendship?

“If we pull through all this, would you ever forgive me?” he doesn’t even know where the question came from and he wasn’t sure of what his intent was, his mouth surely had its own brain.

“ _Whether we stay friends is up to you Ry. Are you always going to second guess me and Mike’s friendship??_ ” Conor rhetorically asked him and Ryan was left speechless. Was he? 

“Just, look after him for me. I’m sure when it’s the right time to talk we’ll call each other...” and with that, Ryan hung up the phone. He didn’t have anything else to say and he was running out of belief. Belief in himself, belief in their relationship and belief in everything he does. 

===

Conor stared at his phone for a few seconds before he switched the screen off and placed it on the bench. He turned around and looked at Michael with a sad smile. 

“He wanted to make sure you were ok, says you’ll call each other when it’s right...” he told Mike, his lips in a tight line. Without looking up to Conor, he asked without missing a beat:

“Did he have an answer to your question?” Conor hesitated in answering and Michael got his answer. His heart dropped knowing that Ryan was never going to trust him with Conor. 

“How can I stay with him when he won’t even trust me with my friends? It’s like he’s giving me an ultimatum, and he doesn’t even know it...” 

“Is it just me or is he like this with all your other friends...?” Conor had to ask after all, if it was just him they can work it out but if it’s all of Michael’s friends then Ryan needs proper help. 

“So far it’s just you,” Michael answered as he concentrated on a blank wall in front of him. 

“Listen Conor,” Michael looked up to his friend who now has sat down next to him. “I’m sorry you’ve come between us, I wouldn’t ever want to put you in this spot,” 

“Michael, you shouldn’t be the one apologizing,” Conor said as he patted Michael on the back with a warm small smile.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathan has a party

Three days later

Mike finally arrived at Nate’s party, just as it was getting underway. He immediately made his way through the crowd to find himself a drink, not even paying attention to who was watching him. Just as he took his first few sips, he remembered the text that he received and the awkwardness that came with it. 

_Nate: Hey man, I’m having a party and I want you there! You and Ryan both._

_He had stared at the screen so long afterwards, that he thought he was dreaming it. He wasn’t unfortunately. How was he going to go on with the conversation without letting on that he and Ryan weren’t talking? He took a deep breath and typed out a reply._

_Thanks for the invite, you should text Ryan too, he’s learning to remember his plans._

_Mike lied, he knew he had too. Well, it wasn’t really a lie, Ryan had been having troubles keeping up with his plans, he’d forget them if it weren’t for Mike himself._

_Nate: oh sweet, think he’ll remember this time??_

_Mike scoffed, since when had Ryan not remember an invite to a party? That and he doesn’t care whether or not Ryan showed up. He doesn’t reply._

He had downed his first drink before Nathan came up to him and hugged him hello. 

“Hey Mike, so happy you could make it! Ryan showed up here awhile back, why’d you guys leave separate?!” he had asked loudly to be heard over the music. Mike thought he looked like a deer in headlights but Nathan didn’t say anything. 

“Oh, I had something that needed to be done first…” he lied to his friend and he faked a smile. 

“Dude, I thought you two were having a fight or something. That would be so awkward!” he laughed and Mike laughed along with him. 

_Oh how that was true._

**

The party was in full swing when Mike was sat on one of the couches, watching all the other party goers having their fun. He expected Ryan to be on the dance floor, embarrassing and making a fool of himself but as Mike’s eyes scanned over the room, he was nowhere near the dance floor. His eyebrows quirked at the thought of Nathan saying to him earlier that Ryan had indeed arrive before himself, so where was he? More importantly why was Michael searching for him? 

After scanning the area slowly, he finally set his eyes on Ryan, as he stood on the other side of the room leaned up against the wall, looking sullen. He wanted to look away but he couldn’t. The fact that Ryan wasn’t up to his fun self was a sign that things weren’t well for him either. 

At that very moment, the room stood still for Michael as Ryan looked up and their eyes met. The air between them sparked and the fire in their hearts burnt brighter.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryan sees Mike.

Ryan looked across the room and immediately his eyes landed on the pair of eyes he didn’t feel like looking into tonight. Every day since the day Mike left, he hasn’t been himself. Most of the days, he would lock himself in his room, eating more take out than normal and his freezer is now filled with tubs and tubs of ice cream; Mike’s favourite flavour that Ryan doesn’t really like. 

When Nate had called him about the party, he was in a little shock. It was so normal for him that Michael made him remember about his party invites and now he doesn’t have anyone to do it for him. 

Tonight, at this party, when he saw Michael his heart skipped a beat. The way their eyes connected, the pounding in their hearts, the way the room stood still for them...it reminded Ryan of the very first day they saw each other. 

_Ryan walked out to the pool, ready to start the day of training. He was pumped up today and something in him screamed ‘today will be a good day!’ and he felt wrong if he didn’t believe it. When he finally made it poolside, there was coach with someone he hasn’t seen before. He opened his mouth to call out to his coach but his coach beat him to it as he turned around and saw him._

_“Ryan! Good timing, I have someone you have to meet,” he said as he walked over. Ryan showed his signature smile and that’s when it happened. Michael turned around and their eyes met for the first time. Any words Ryan was about to say vanished into thin air and his breath left him._

_“Oh, hi, Ryan? I’m Michael...” Mike introduced himself with a bright lop sided smile and his hands extended. Ryan’s smile widened and Michael swore there was a cheeky, mischievous glint in his eyes. Both their hearts skipped a beat and the coach looked between them like they’d grown two heads._

_“Guys, swim practice not date day...” he sighed as he walked away, leaving them both to themselves._

Ryan stared at Michael and he swore he saw a glimpse of that lop sided smile, and that famous warm look in his eyes. Straight away, he felt Michael pull him closer and closer, just like he always does when their in the same room. 

_‘What happens if I go over and start talking to him? That would mean I have to apologize and I’m not in the mood to be having a sit down talk right now. But that doesn’t mean we can’t start over right? Like maybe if we talk this out soon, it won’t be too late? Let’s just hope our love will grow stronger instead of fading away’_

“You know I’ve never seen you guys so far apart before. Is everything ok?” Nathan popped up beside him, conveniently giving him another bottle. 

“We’re fine, I uh…I wanted to try this new thing. Have you heard it??” Ryan rolled of his tongue as he looked at Nathan with wide eyes. Without waiting for an answer, he kept going. 

“Yeah, so basically you go to events, parties, whatever and spend the whole time apart. Like not talk to each other or nothing, man! Apparently it’s good for the sex afterwards…? I dunno, we’re trying it,” 

“I bet it’ll work like a charm tonight!” Nathan cheered and Ryan had to look at him confused. 

“What do you mean?”

“What? You haven’t noticed the way he’s been undressing you with his eyes all night long??” now Nathan was the one confused, Ryan was not one to miss on those signs. 

“Oh…it’s been a long day, I’m not surprised I missed on that…” he trailed as he chugged his bottle.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The phone call.

Michael stood by the hotel window, staring at the streets below as everyone kept going on with their lives. One of his hands is in his pocket, fiddling around with his phone. He’s been up for hours, going back and forth in his mind on whether he should call Ryan. 

As refreshing as it was to not be around Ryan for the last week almost, Michael was starting to feel empty. He was so used to hearing Ryan’s cringe worthy and cheesy jokes, so used to knowing what Ryan was up to when he wasn’t around and now, nothing. The feeling of loneliness was seeping in and the hours he spent alone were too quiet that he was going mad from it. 

Ryan sat in the living room; the only light that illuminated the house was the one that came from the TV screen. He wasn’t even watching it, he wanted to have something to fill the silence. His eyes teared up so long ago and it hadn’t stopped since that he didn’t bother wiping them away. He just let them flow; making a right mess of himself. 

He misses Michael; everything from his warm smile, to his tired smirk that he always showed whenever Ryan cracked a cheesy ass joke. But most of all, he misses the gentle touches. It wasn’t just when they were cuddling or close together; Michael would ghost his fingers across Ryan’s arm or he would accidentally elbow him. 

_Now that you’re gone, who am I without you?_

Ryan pulled out his phone and stared at it; the familiar number looking back at him. He took a deep breath and pressed the call button. Pressing the phone to his hear, he listened to the ringing, as it grew loud and loud. After what seemed like a long time, Michael answered the phone with an anxious tone. 

_“Ryan?”_

Ryan didn’t answer, he stayed quiet the whole time and all Michael heard was his breathing. 

_“Why did you call me?”_

Still no answer from Ryan. _Why did he call?_ Ryan sighed and stared emptily at the TV screen. He wanted to say something, _anything_ , but he couldn’t think of anything that could help him right now.

 _“Ryan, it’s late there. You should be in bed…I have work to be doing,_ ”

From that one line, he knows that Michael isn’t in America. Or at least in a time zone that isn’t the same as him. How did he not know where Michael is?

 _“Ryan, I’m going now, goodnight,_ ” with that, Michael hung up the phone, which left Ryan on the phone listening to the beeping tone. He pulled the phone from his ear and looked at it before he threw it across the room in a huff and watched it shatter to pieces.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I was wondering if you'd like to meet, to go over everything...

_“We need to talk. Please.”_

Michael stared at the message long after he received it and he wondered if he could give Ryan the chance to talk things through, explain himself or whatever it is he needs to do. He wanted to reply a straight away ‘no’, but he stopped short. He couldn’t do it, he couldn’t shut Ryan down this time. How could he, when the guy himself was always there for him in his dark days? He sighed and typed out a reply:

_“Coffee house, tomorrow 9am. I’m giving you a chance to talk or whatever but if you so much as try to force anything on me –on us- I’ll leave, that’s it”_

_“Thanks Michael”_

Ryan looked at his phone and he felt a little relieved that Michael had agreed for them to sit and talk. He was sure that if Michael was going to say no, that it was quits for them. After everything they’ve been through, calling it quits on something he now knows was such a stupid idea is not how he wanted to end something so special to him. 

The next morning

Michael sat at the coffee house, as he drummed his fingers on the table anxiously, his coffee going cold by the minute. His feet occasionally tapped on the floor, his mind going through all the different things Ryan could say to him. Did Ryan want to apologize? Did he want to tell him that they were truly over? Or both? Michael was over thinking it and he wasn’t the one that was at fault...right?

It was another few minutes before Ryan showed up, looking worse than Mike had ever seen him. Ryan walked in and looked around for Mike and when he saw him, he swore he could see sadness in those eyes. Ryan sat down opposite him, and stared at him. 

“No Conor?” was the first thing he whispered as he sat down and straight away he knew it was a mistake. 

“Great start Ryan...sounds like you still don’t trust me with him,” Michael shot back in a soft tone that pierced through Ryan’s heart. Ryan looked down to his hands. 

“Look, I’m sorry; about everything. I knew how close you and Conor are, ever since we got together. I knew that he is the closest friend you have other than me. And, for me to question your relationship was out of line and I shouldn’t have done that, I’m sorry,” Ryan waited for an answer from Mike and he held his breath. Michael looked at Ryan’s small form and for a second wondered if the apology was genuine. But then again, when has Ryan apologized for anything?

“Apology accepted,” Ryan looked up with wide eyes. 

“I’m also truly sorry for all the times I would flirt with other people when you were right there with me. I’ve never been in a serious relationship with anyone before and I guess it’s hard for me to adjust to sticking to one person. I know that’s not a reasonable excuse for you but that’s all I got and I understand if you don’t want to keep _us_ going, at least I’ve tried my best to explain myself,” there was silence between them and for those few moments, time stood still. 

Has he really blown it this times? Ryan’s heart was running miles and he wasn’t too sure on what to think anymore.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conor calls.

“Ryan, the only way we could work this out is if you change. I can’t be hanging out with my friends knowing you’re off somewhere not trusting me and we can’t be going places when I know you’re not going to be faithful to me. How are we going to keep this relationship going if we don’t even trust each other the whole time? And don’t bother coming up with an excuse, because even if you’re willing to change it won’t just happen overnight,” Mike answered with a sorrowful look. Ryan sighed and looked to his hands. 

“So, that’s us done huh?” he asked and he didn’t have to wait for the answer to know what it is. 

“Until you’ve shown me that you’ve changed, then unfortunately we’re done,” Michael took a sip of his drink and stared at how broken hearted Ryan is. 

**

Michael walked through the front door as his phone rang out. 

“Hello?” 

_“Hey Mike, how’s everything?”_ Michael sat down at the kitchen bench, the coffee brewing in the background. 

“I talked to Ryan this morning...” he whispered as he stared at the coffee pot. 

_“Oh, you did huh? How’d that go?”_

“We’re not together anymore, broke things off,” Michael answered with no emotion in his voice. 

_“Wow, Mike I’m sorry...I thought you guys could work it out,”_

“Are you kidding?? Don’t get me wrong, on his good day Ryan is great but this...there’s no way he could change overnight,”

 _“Did you at least give him a chance to explain himself? You couldn’t just end it on the spot,”_ Michael looked at his phone with a confused look.

“Are you standing up for Ryan? Come on, who’s side are you on!” Michael started to sound angry, so he calmly took a deep breath. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it to sound like that...”

 _“Are you sure this is what you want Michael? You sound like you’re not in a happy place right now,”_ the concern from his friend made him made him frown. 

“All I’ve ever known to want is swim, everything else wasn’t relevant then but now...now it all feels like it’s slipping away from me. I don’t know what’s going to happen, I’m just going with my gut feeling,” Michael tried not to show emotion but this situation he was in had got him upside down and inside out. 

_“Well, that’s very promising. Maybe give it a few days and things will be clearer for you...”_

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Is that really all you called for Conor...?”

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think!


End file.
